For years I told myself that canning peaches was too hard and added too much sugar to an already sweet fruit, so I never tried to do it. Well, I swallowed my pride and gave it another whirl this Fall, and I am so glad. I (of course) found a way to use even less sugar than the lightest version of syrup called for in my "Ball" Canning book, and the peaches have so much more flavor than the ones I froze. Now that I have these pretty jars of peaches carefully stacked on my storage shelves, no one is

A great way to get a piece of toast to stick to your ribs and taste amazing is to add mashed avocados and some "everything but the bagel seasoning." (aff. link) YUM! I made this with sliced Udis Multigrain bread and it was delicious. Enjoy! Avocado Toast with Everything Seasoning (Gluten-Free) Udis Multigrain bread with mashed avocados 4 slices Gluten-Free Bread (Udis Multigrain)1 large avocado (mashed)1 tablespoon Everything but the Bagel Seasoning Toast bread. Top with mashed avocados and seasoning.

There's nothing wrong with boiling fresh or frozen green beans until they are soft, draining the water and seasoning them with butter and salt and pepper. However... cooking them in a covered skillet or wok with a dab of butter and garlic makes this simple side dish a show-stopper at the dinner table. They are perfectly crisp-tender and have a punch of flavor which will complement any main dish you are serving for dinner. Enjoy! Garlic and Butter Green Beans A flavorful side dish that adds some green vegetables to your dinner 6 cups fresh green beans (or frozen)1/2 cup

I planted wayyyyy too many cucumbers this year and I am having to get creative with how I serve them to my family during this harvest season. My kids have finally put their foot down and declared that they don't love the balsamic dressing I use in my Cucumber Caprese Salad. So, this new way of serving cucumbers and tomatoes is super simple and not that impressive, but my kids love it so much I had to share. Here goes: Cucumber Tomato Ranch Salad Kid friendly salad to eat up late summer vegetables 4 small cucumbers (3 Cups chopped)4 large

Football season is here, and tailgate parties are in full swing! Everybody loves a good 7-Layer Dip to munch on while watching the big game. For the beans, I usually pull some homemade ones from the freezer that I make in bulk with Mel's Kitchen Cafe's Recipe. That combined with a substitution in the sour cream mixture makes this recipe a bit lighter than most. I last served this at my son's sports-themed 9th Birthday party and the boys practically licked the pan clean. I hope you like it too. Enjoy! Hearty 7-Layer Bean Dip The best bean, guacamole, cream,

Red cabbage is full of vitamin K and antioxidants called anthocyanins which fight cancer and prevent nerve damage. It has a peppery, zingy flavor when eaten raw, but it gets more mild and sweeter as it cooks. I was shocked when I saw how much my kids loved buttery steamed cabbage when I first served it. They just love it! I think the salt and butter has something to do with that, but if it pleases their palate enough to eat a huge serving of this nutrient dense vegetable, I'm game! This is a perfect side dish to my Hearty

With five children, making a custom birthday cake each year was starting to get overwhelming for this very practical momma. I prefer to spend my effort on complete meals, so desserts are usually left up to my husband or kids. Mirroring their birthday cake to the ones they see on the Food Network is pretty stressful for someone who is not patient enough to make fondant-- or even frosting for that matter. Besides that, during my kids' birthdays, I'm busy planning parties and games, so it's just too much to do an elaborate cake on top of all that. Two

While visiting my parents in Northern Wyoming, we harvested raspberries galore from their garden, so I started finding creative ways to serve them. You know that means we had a TON of berries, because usually we pop them all in our mouths before they have a chance to go in any recipe. I have been craving a dish called "Raspberry Fluff" for a while. It often contains whipped cream, marshmallows, dry Jell-O mix...maybe some pudding... with a few strawberries in it. I used to love the stuff as a kid! Since I don't usually have marshmallows, Jell-O and pudding mixes

Green smoothies have been my go-to side dish in the crazy busy days of Summer. Not only are they a fast and easy way to round out a meal, but they are so refreshing on a hot Summer day. While cycling through New York City's Central Park with my husband last month, I was totally parched and needed more than a sip of water to quench my thirst. We found a street vendor making smoothies and this one blew my mind! It was perfect! Here's my best attempt at recreating that delicious smoothie. Enjoy! Fresh and Fruity Green Smoothie Fresh

Just spicing up a basic warm vegetable to make it fit into our Tuesday Mexican Night meal plans. Enjoy! Mexican Cooked Corn Cooked frozen corn with a Mexican flare 4 cups Frozen Corn1 Cup Red Bell Pepper (chopped)1 1/2 Tbsp Butter3/4 tsp Garlic Salt2 Tbsp Cilantro (chopped) In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups water to boil. Add frozen corn and cook until mixture begins to boil again. Drain water and return corn to pan.Add bell pepper, butter, and garlic salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Top with cilantro.